THERE WILL BE INK - Initiative for Policy Dialogue

Notes on Conducting Research in UgandaPreparation for the January 2009 research trip to Uganda went smoothly, as our researcher, RebekahHeacock, had previously spent time in the country. During the trip, an hour or more each day wasspent calling contacts and arranging meetings, and five to six hours per day interviewing or travelingto interviews. This system worked well, and our researcher was able to meet with 20 current andformer journalists and with the head of the Mass Communications Department at MakerereUniversity, Uganda's largest tertiary educational institution.Smaller than both Accra and Lagos, Kampala is comparatively easily navigable. Still, traffic can beproblematic at times, and transportation proved to be the biggest expense: fuel prices in the countryrose during the Kenyan post-election crisis in late 2007/early 2008 and have yet to go back down,making transportation costs higher than expected. Our researcher was familiar with the city, and shewas able to use reliable motorcycle taxi drivers for the bulk of her transport, cutting both taxi costsand transportation times.The majority of respondents were eager to help with the project, though some meetings were rusheddue to interviewees' schedules. The written survey caused the most difficulty, and our team membermade several revisions in the field to make the questions and format easier for interviewees tounderstand.– 69 –